Improvement in copying-presses



G. A. SMITH.

COPYING-PRESS.

Patented June 19,-1877.

WITNEEEEE .Gmb

'r OFFICEo GEORGE A. SMITH, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN COPYING-PRESSES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. l 92,300, dated June 19,1877 application filed June 13, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. SMITH, of Boston, county of Suffolk, Stateof Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful lmprovement inCopying-Presses for Papyrographic and other Purposes, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing, making part of this specification, andwhich represents a perspective view of my improved copying-press.

The object of my improvement is to facilitate the operation oftakingpapyrographic and other letter-press copies, and adapting them tobe taken or made with much greater rapidity than is done in presses inordinary use; and to this end the invention consists, rst, in a novelmanner of combining` the follower or upper platen with the bed-plate ofthe press, whereby it is not only made selfretracting when the pressureis withdrawn, but is made to open upon hinges or springs arranged at oneside of the press, as will be explained.

It further consists in a novel arrangement of lever and cam or roller,or equivalent devices for actuating the follower, whereby the necessityof lreversing the movement of said devices for releasing the follower isobviated, and the movement of said devices in either direction serves toboth move the follower up to its work, and to release the same and allowit to he retracted, as hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawing, A represents the bedplate, made in theusual form, and B is the upper movable platen or follower, which isattached to the bed-plate at the rear side or edge by flat bent springsa a, which perform not only the function of yielding hinges, but servethe further purpose of upholding the front edge of the follower like theraised lid of a book, when not held down by the cam or lever fordepressing it.

The form of the spring a may be varied; and, in some cases, it may befound sufficient to simply hinge the follower to the bed-plate andemploy springs for raising the former when the pressure is removed.Springs performing both functions, as described, are preferred, however,as allowing the follower to adapt itself to different thickness ofletterpress books or other interposed matter.

The bed-plate is provided at its ends with uprights O C, having suitablebearings in their upper ends for a rock-shaft, D, having at one end anarm or lever, D', by means of which the shaft is vibrated. Midwaybetween the standards C C, the shaft D has an arm, cam, or lever, E,rigidly secured to it, and shown, in the present instance, as providedwith a threaded socket in its outer swinging end, in which is secured anadjustable eXtension piece, E', having a friction roller, e, mounted inits outer forked end, and provided at its inner end with a threadedshank fitting the socket in arm E, and adapting it to be readily adjusted therein for varying the length of the arm and adapting it to thethrow required to be given to the follower B.

Instead of the threaded shank and socket, a shank, provided with aratchet-face and a spring retaining pawl, or other equivalent means forconveniently eecting the adjustment, may be used.

The arm or cam E E' will be so adjusted in length, that when it isvibrated, depressing the follower B for taking a copy or impression, therequired pressure will be attained as said arm or cam reaches a position'perpendicular to the face of the follower, and passing said point orposition the follower will be released and allowed to be retracted bythe springs a a, as explained.

It will be seen that under this arrangement of parts, as the arm orlever D is vibrated back and forth, the follower B will he actuated bythe movementof the arm or cam E in either direction, and that it is notnecessary to reverse the movement of said arm or cam or its actuatingdevices in order to release and retract the follower. Considerableeconomy of time in duplicating copies or impressions is thus effected.The manner in which the follower is raised, viz., at its forward edge,also facilitates the removal and replacing of the copying-book, andwhere papyrographic copies or impressions are to be taken, the followermay be provided with angular buttons or clasps b, which aremade to graspthe upper leaves or portion of the book, and thus to able fasteningdevices, adapting them to be I readily removed or applied, as required.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The upper movable platen, connected at one side 0r edge with thelower platen or 'bed plate by spring-hinges or their equivalent, i

adapting said platen to be automatically raised at the front or oppositeside or edge when the pressure is removed, in combination with thevibrating actuating-arm E, moving back and forth over said platen,substantially as described.

. The combi-nation, with the upper hinged movable platen B, of the-but'tons b, adapting the lid or cover of the copying-book or portfolioto be attached to and to move with said platen, as described.

3. The combination, with the rock-shaft D, of the arm E, adapted to bevibrated back and forth in the are of a circle over the platen B, and todepress and release said platen at each swing or movement, as described.

4. The combination, with the vibrating arm E, of the friction-roller,made adjustable in the outer end of said arm or cam, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of June,A. D. 187 7.

l GEORGE A. SMITH.

Witnesses: I

Rosoon P. OWEN, J. WALTER WELLS.

